GenCon 2000 Report

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Well okay then Margie, those Wisconsin folks sure do know how to play games.

By IGN Staff

Those of you out there that are big fans of tabletop pen and paper games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Warhammer are probably already aware that the sleepy little town of Milwaukee was inundated with people for GenCon 2000 this last weekend. For those of you that aren't aware of what GenCon is, it is the biggest gathering of gaming fans that happens each year. Gamers gather to sit around and play pen and paper RPGs, turn based tabletop war games, trading card games, and board games. Basically, it is a nerd's paradise. And there are a whole lot of nerds out there. We should know, because all of us here in the office are pretty big nerds. Especially Tal.

The conference is more about the fans having fun and meeting each other than much else, but some big things do break at the show and this year was no different. The show was the forum for the official announcement for the D&D 3rd edition rules. So why does this matter when you're talking about PC games? Well the main and only reason at the moment is the upcoming game from Mattel entitled Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor. That title is the first D&D based computer game that will make use of the new rules.

Other than that, the convention really was just a lot of people having a whole lot of fun. There were tons of games going on all over the center. Gamers could be heard shouting as their Warhammer 40,000 teams won a match as others discussed what their various characters should do to get through dungeons in one piece. There were of course conferences and panels that discuss different parts of various games, talks on how to be a better Dungeon Master, and miniature painting classes among other things. There were also plenty of people walking around in costumes showing off their dedication to the game of their choice. The main floor of the convention was pretty much a bazaar where the big names in the gaming industry showed and sold their products. It reminded me a bit of a tourist trap (which I fell into on a couple of occasions) but nobody seemed to mind, and most people seemed to enjoy the teeming masses.

The focus of this gathering was certainly not on the computer game side of things, but a few publishing names showed up to give fans a look at their wares. Microsoft, Mattel, Ripcord, Sierra, G.O.D., THQ, Strategy First, Hasbro, and Activision all made appearances to show the gamers some games that are either out or close to release. We stopped by their booths and had some nice chats and took a closer look at some games like Rune, Pool of Radiance, Conquest: Frontier Wars, and the Majesty: Northern Expansion pack. We will of course write more on these so that you know all that we know.

It was fun to see that the good old RPG and strategy games of yesteryear are still alive and kicking. There are still plenty of people out there that are still addicted to those great old games and probably will be for a long time. Let's just hope that they keep inspiring great games as time goes along.